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Want to meet bestselling author James Patterson? Here's your chance! We're giving away a ticket to Booked for Lunch with James Patterson, plus a book to have signed by the author himself! Entering is FREE! Check out ABC7's story to find out how you could be our lucky winner! Don't want to leave it to chance? Get your tickets today!

Author James Patterson has sold more than 425 million books in his career. This October, he’ll take the stage in Manatee County to reflect on his storied career as part of Booked for Lunch, the annual fundraiser for the Library Foundation of Manatee County. We recently posed a few questions to Patterson in anticipation of his talk: 1. WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR EARLY MEMORIES OF LIBRARIES, AND WHAT ROLE DO YOU SEE LIBRARIES PLAYING IN AN INCREASINGLY DIGITAL WORLD? My mom was a te

February is Love Your Libraries Month! It is a time to pause and appreciate the places that serve our community in ways we may not always see. We love our libraries for the quiet corners, the storytimes, the familiar faces at the front desk. But beyond the affection lies something even more powerful: real, community-wide impact. The 2025 Manatee County Public Library Annual Report tells that story clearly. By the Numbers Here’s a snapshot of the impact and value Manatee Count

BRADENTON, FL — The Library Foundation of Manatee County hosted its signature annual fundraiser, Booked for Lunch, welcoming author, journalist, and Today with Jenna and Friends host Jenna Bush Hager as the featured speaker. The event drew a full house in support of the Manatee County Public Library System, raising both funds and awareness for the essential role libraries play in community life.

Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library and the Manatee Library Foundation presented $200,000 toward books. Featured in Your Observer -...

Manatee County’s The Library Foundation recently announced that it will award the Rocky Bluff Library in Ellenton up to $125,000 for...